A conventional socket generally includes a polygonal hole for accommodating the object such as a bolt head or a nut, the socket is driven by a hand tool so as to loosen the object from another object. However, when the bolt is threadedly connect to a board for example, and located in a deep position, when using the socket to loosen the bolt, the loosened bolt drops from the socket due to gravity and the user cannot retrieve the bolt conveniently. Some sockets are equipped with a spring ring which is installed in the socket such that the loosened bolt can be retained in the socket by the spring ring. The bolt and the socket are then removed from the deep position and the bolt can then be pulled out from the socket. Nevertheless, if the object is a nut which is completely received in the socket, the user cannot conveniently pick the nut out from the socket.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,243,579 to Hennessey discloses a rotatable ring secured around the second end of the cylindrical body and an insert having polygonal outer circumference is received in the polygonal opening of the cylindrical body. The polygonal outer circumference of the insert is sized to fit snugly into the polygonal opening of the cylindrical body. The insert includes patterned array of projections or teeth extending into the central space of the donut-shaped insert and the projections or teeth are deformable so as to conform to several tee cap sizes and designs.
However, the insert cannot rotated relative to the cylindrical body because its polygonal outer circumference is sized to fit snugly into the polygonal opening of the cylindrical body. The rotatable ring includes a lip which forms a polygonal lip opening corresponding to the polygonal opening of the cylindrical body. The rotatable ring is rotated between the non-locking position for allowing the removable of the insert, or locking position so as to prevent the removal of the insert.
When rotating the cylindrical body, if the tee cap is smaller than the central space of the insert, this means a gap is defined between the inner walls of the central space and the tee cap, no torque is applied to the tee cap. In other words, the insert cannot loosen or tighten the tee cap accommodated in the insert.
Besides, the lip opening of the rotatable ring has to be shifted to the non-locking position where the polygonal lip opening is in alignment with the polygonal opening, the cap/tool holder insert can be inserted into the cylindrical body. Once the insert is inserted into the cylindrical body, the lip opening of the rotatable ring has to be shifted again to the locking position to prevent the insert the insert from dropping off from the cylindrical body. The user has to rotate the rotatable ring after the insert has been inserted into the cylindrical body, otherwise, the insert will drop off from the cylindrical body.
Furthermore, the rotatable ring has to be rotated to the locking position to prevent the insert from dropping off from the cylindrical body before inserting the cylindrical body to the deep position where the tee cap is located. The locking position of the lip opening may preclude the insertion of the tee cap into the insert. The rotatable ring is a flat ring which is located at the second end of the cylindrical body and the second end of the cylindrical body has to be inserted into a deep position where the underground pipeline system is located. The lip could be pressed by the cylindrical body on an surface or ground, so that the user is difficult or cannot touch or rotate the rotatable ring during operation to shift the lip opening to the non-locking position so as to allow the tee cap to enter the central space of the insert.
The present invention intends to provide a socket assembly which is cooperated with a control member which includes stops extending from an inner periphery thereof and the stops are deformed when mounting the socket assembly to a nut, and after the nut is loosened, the nut is removed from the threaded rod together with the socket assembly. The control member does not need to rotate during operation. The nut is supported by the stops and does not drop off from the socket assembly until the user rotate the control member. The socket assembly is easily to use and save a lot of time.